One very effective way to make your photographs bolder and stronger is to Keep It Simple.  We’ve all heard this advice from all sorts of sources relating to all sorts of life’s situations.  But it often applies – and particularly when it comes to photography.

One of my favorite photos from a recent visit to the coastal areas of Provence France is this one.  It’s just a simple pine tree.  There are very few elements to this photo and because of that it has strength and appeal – at least to me.

This is an area in the Bouches-du-Rhone near Cassis.  The rocky wall formations and watery inlets are called the Calanques.  It’s a very impressive area.  I’ve seen and made hundreds of photos here – most of them fairly dramatic.  It’s not hard to capture dramatic photos in this environment.  But it was the very un-dramatic shot here that stood out for me.

Why?  Because of it’s simplicity we get a chance to see the calm beauty of the area, the determination of this little tree growing out of solid rock, the amazing colors of the Mediterranean – all of this without the distractions of too many objects in the image.

Never leave anything in the frame that doesn’t deserve to be there.  If there’s a distracting object, try to move and adjust your composition so it can be left out.  Your images will be stronger and bolder because of it.